Pettrs



(IMOQBL) Z'Sheets-Sheet 1. J. B. BENTON. Pare Register.

Patented v Nov. 23, 1880.

N. PETERS. FHQTGLITHOGHAPHER, WASHINGYO D C.

(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

J. B. BENTON. Pare Register.

No. 234,742. Patented Nov. 23, 1880.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JOHN B. BENTON, OF NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAILIVAY IEGISTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, N. Y.

FARE-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,742, dated November 23, 1880.

Application filed August 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. BENTON, of the city, county, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fare-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to fare-registers of the class embodying in their structure and organization duplex registering to mechanism, consisting of what is now commonly known as a trip and a general register.

In Letters Patent of the United States heretofore granted to me on the 2d day oflllarch,

1 1880, as No. 225,044, I have shown an improved register of the duplex class, the faceplate of the inclosing casing of which is provided with a window, which exposes to the view of those in the car the tally or count of the trip-register as the registration proceeds. In said improved register there is embodied mechanism which compels a full movement of the actuator or handle of the machine in either direction before it can be reversed whereby all danger of sounding the alarm by a partial movement of the actuator insufficient to move the registering mechanism is avoided. If a partial movement of the actuator is made the registering mechanism is moved part way 0 only and cannot move back, so' that a complete movement of the actuator is necessary to move the registering-wheels the required distance, and to permit said actuator to be reversed or returned to its normal position in 3 5 readiness for a new movement, whichis to add to the tally or count. It is possible, however, in said register, to move the actuator or handle far enough to show a new number through the trip-register window without completing 40 the movement, in order to sound the bell and permit the handle or actuator to be returned to its position for a new actuation, whereby the conductor may commit frauds, as when he receives a fare he may move the actuator far 5 enough only to bring a new number of the trip-register opposite its window, but not far enough to complete its entire movement and sound the alarm, so that apparently to the eye the machine has been honestly worked actuation of the register.

(Model.)

and the fare registered. When the next fare is received the conductor completes the movement of the actuator, which rings the bell, the said actuator being then in condition to be returned to its position in readiness for a new The sound of the bell being heard, those in the car are under the belief that an honest actuation of the machine has again been made and the second fare properly tallied. It will thus be obvious that a shrewd manipulator may operate the machine and record only one fare for every two received, and thus dishonestly pocket, on well-patronized roads, a goodly share of the receipts, while maintaining the reputation of a faithful and honest oflicial.

The detectives, or spotters, as they are termed, who are employed to watch the con ductors and see that the registers are properly worked, are often deceived, as the conductor takes good care when the first fraudulent part of the operation commences to plainly expose the face of the casing to view, so that the movements of the trip-register may be observed and the appearance of the newnumber noted. The spotter, seeing the new number appear opposite the window, supposes that, owing to the noise in-the street, he has not heard the alarm and that the machinehas been honestly worked. When the next fare is received the conductor carelessly hides the window (which exposes the trip-register)from view with his hand or coat; but, as the bell is this time sounded, the spotter again presumes that the second fare has been properly registered.

To prevent the danger of fraud by the conductor in the manner pointed out is the object of my present invention, which end I attain by combining a registering mechanism the indications of which are exposed to view through an opening or window in the register-casing, an actuator for actuating said registering mechanism in the process of counting or tally ing, and a signal or sign which moves with the registering mechanism when actuated and remains in sight until a complete movement of the actuator is effected and the alarm sounded, the said signal being then removed 4 sound the alarm.

' of the machine.

y the return of the actuator to its starting-pa sition, leaving the record of the register plainly exposed to view.

My invention also consists in certain other new combinations, which are pointed out at the close of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my present im provements as embodied in the best way now known to me, Figure is a face view of the register, the signal being shown in dotted lines beneath the window, which exposes the indications of the trip-register to view. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a front view, the face-plate or cover of the register being removed to exhibit the internal parts of the register, and also the signal or sign which advances with the tripregister until a movement of the actuator takes place sufficient to carry said trip-register the proper distance to expose a new number and Fig. 4 is asimilar view with the trig-disks, directionindicator plate, 850., of the register removed. Figs. 5 and 6 are news of the vibrating sector-plate which carries the actuating-pawls of the trip and general registers and also the signal or sign. Figs. 7 and S are views of the devices for compellinga full movement of the turning actuator in both directions of its travel or movement in operating the machine in the process of counting.

I have shown my present improvements as added to my improved register patented March 2, 1880, before mentioned. It will therefore be unnecessary for me either to show all the parts of said register in the accompanying drawings or describe them in detail herein. I therefore refer to said Letters Patent for a full illustration and description of the construction, operation, and details of organization of the register referred to, and will limit the description herein to such parts as are necessary to an understanding of my present invention.

The casing A, which incloses the operative parts of the register, is provided in front with a window or opening, a, through which to inspect or view the record made by the tripregister, while a window or opening, a, exposes the indication of the direction-indicator Said trip-register consists of two flat circular disks, B B, one above the other, with numbers upon their faces, and it is capable of registering ninety-nine fares,the upper disk, B,registering units, and the lower disk, B, registering tens.

The trip-register and the general register, which latter is composed of atrain of registering-wheels, G, are simultaneously operated, respectively, by means of actuating-pawls d d, carried by a vibrating sector-arm, D, turning on a central arbor or shaft, f, the trip-register being operated step by step by the engagement of the pawl d with actuating-teeth formed in the edge of the trip-disks, while the unitwheel of the general register is geared with a central hub, F, having actuating-teeth for the engagement of the pawl d. Said hub, by a series of teeth thereon, trips the bell-hammer to sound the alarm once for each actuation of the hub and of the registers in the counting process.

The vibrating sector-arm D is operated by a turning shaft-actuator, Gr, having a toothed sector, g, to engage the teeth in the outer end of the arm D. Said actuator Gextends at its front end through the face-plate of the casing to receive a finger-piece or handle, G, to turn it, while at its rear or lower end below the bell and next the base-plate A of the machine it is provided with a sector-plate, g, having \l'shaped teeth formed in its curved edge, which, in connection with a shifting detent-dog, g pivoted to the base-plate and acted upon by a spring, compels a complete movement of the actuator or handle in either direction of its movement before it can be reversed, it being necessary to carry the toothed sector-plate out of engagement with the detent-dog to reverse the movement of the acttr ator or handle, as clearly described in m y aforesaid patent, whereby, it will be seen, a full movement of the actuator or handle must be made in both directions, and consequently all danger of sounding thealarm withoutactuating the register is avoided.

The actuating movement of the actuator and its finger-piece or handle is from left to right, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) and when this full movement of the actuator (which in the organization of machine shown is about. onethird of a revolution) is completed the actuator is reversed or moved from right to left in order to place the sector-arm D in position for its actuating-pawls to re-engage and move the registers, when the actuator is again moved or turned by its handle from left to right.

In order to prevent fraudulent manipulation of the register by making only one registration for two fares, as hereinbefore pointed outthat is, when one fare is received, to move the trip-register far enough to show a new number without completing the movement of the actuator, and then upon the receipt of the next fare completing the movement to sound the alarmI provide a signal or sign, called by me an eye-signal, which is moved with a trip-register when actuated in the process of counting, and remains in sight until a complete movement of the actuator takes place, or a movement sufficient to move the register the proper distance to expose a new number and to sound the alarm. As soon as said move ment is completed the actuator is returned automatically or by hand, as usual, to its normal position, in readiness for a new actuation, which withdraws or removes the signal or sign from sight, while the indication of the register is exposed to full view. Said signal or signin the organization of parts described I prefer to consist of a metal plate, H, firmly connected at its inner end to the inner end of the vibrating sector-arm D, (see Figs. 4, 5, and 6,) and extending outward beneath the disks, the end h of the plate being turned or bent over so as to overlap the numbered edges of the tripdisks, said bent overlapping end h lying behind the face-plate of the casing just above the window or opening a thereof when the sectorarm is in its position to engage the trip-disks to move them in the countingprocess. If the said sector-arm be now vibrated by the actuator G to register a fare, the signal or sign will also be moved about the same center, and will travel with the advancing number of the trip-register beneath the window a, where it will remain in full view until a complete movement of the actuator is effected, owing to the fact that the sector-arm cannot be moved back or reversed independently of the actuator. Thus it will be seen that the conductor is compelled to actuate the machine honestly, as, if he attempts to move the register partway only and then stops the signal will show the fraud immediately by attracting the attention of the eye. At the end of the stroke or movement of the actuator and the full movement of the register and sounding of the alarm the actuator is returned to its first position in readiness for a new actuation, and the signal is withdrawn from view.

The signal or sign may be a solid plate so as to obscure the advancing figures of the tripregister until removed,or it may be perforated or have two openings in it, as shown in Fi 5. The signal may also be painted with a bright color to more quickly attract attention.

Changes in the shape of the signal and in the organization of the parts of the register may, of course, be made without departing from my invention.

It may be proper to state that I am well aware that fare-registers having a signal to attract the attention of the eye to the acts of the operator are very old, and such are not, broadly, claimed by me as of my invention.

What I claim herein as my invention is .l. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a registering mechanism, an inclosing casingforsaid mechanism having an opening to expose its indications,an alarm mechanism, an actuator for actuating said registering and alarm mechanisms in the process of counting or tallying, and a signal or sign, substantially as described, which moves with the registering mechanism when actuated and remains in sight until a movement of the actuator is effected sufficient to carry the registering mechanism the required distance and to sound the alarm, and is then withdrawn and again made to appear at the next actuation of the registering mechanism.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a registering mechanism, an inclosing casing having a window to expose the indications of said mechanism, an actuator for actuating said mechanism in the counting process, mechanism to compel a full movement of said actuator, and a signal or sign, substantially as described, moved by said actuator when operating the registering mechanism, and so organized that it will remain in sight until the movement of the actuator is complete, and will then be withdrawn, leaving the indication of the register exposed to view.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the fiat registering-disks, the inclosing casing having a window to expose the indications of the register to view, the actuator for moving said disks in the counting process, and the signal or sign overlapping the edges of the said disks, so as to be interposed between them and the faceplate of the casing, said signal being so organized as to be moved into view beneath the window in said casing as the register is operated and withdrawn when a complete movement of the actuator is effected.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto subscribed my name this lOth day of August, A. D. 1880.

JOHN B. BENTON.

lVitncsses:

JAcoB D BoIs, T. W. FARNSWORTH. 

